ULAANBAATAR, 22 February 2018 – A joint report commissioned by the National Center for Public Health and UNICEF raises the alarm about the implications of air pollution on children’s health. The authors estimate that if Ulaanbaatar’s air pollution levels do not rapidly decrease in the coming years, the financial cost of treating air pollution related diseases in children is expected to increase 33 per cent by 2025. This means an additional cost of MNT 4.8 billion (just over US$2 million) per year for the public health system by 2025.

A result of climate change extreme weather events are becoming more intense and more frequent in many regions of the world. From increasing precipitation and cyclones in high latitudes and tropical regions, to intensifying droughts in southern Africa, this trend is likely to continue throughout the 21st century.

This Revised Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 979,346 (increased from CHF 833,945) to enable the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS) to deliver assistance and support to 27,000 people (5,400 households) for 12 months, with a focus on livelihoods including nutrition and food security, and community preparedness and risk reduction. The revised plan reflects an increased number of beneficiaries, an increase in activities, and a refocused geographic scope (from 20 to 17 provinces).